This is a good example of why it isn't a good idea to leave things until the last minute. My plan was to whip Cindy Lou Who together on Saturday when I had the whole day off. My nine patches were done, all I had to do was make the snowball stars. I laid the blocks out to figure out the placement of the star points, and what do you know? Instead of cutting 8 squares of each fabric for the star points, I had only cut 5. And I was out of fabric. I will have to pick up a charm pack of my fabric, Blessings, and finish the project at a later date. So I have no Schnibbles reveal for October.
I did make use of my free day however. I pre-washed all my red fabrics for the Red and White Snowball challenge. Were you thinking that you don't need to pre-wash your reds? Oh dear, you might want to re-think that. Imagine if you got your beautiful quilt all together and when you washed it, some of those reds bled onto the lights. Disaster. I hate pre-washing, and skip it under most circumstances, but with reds…..You just have to do it.
Get yourself a box of Color Catchers in the laundry aisle of your grocery store. Toss one or two in the wash with your reds and you will see how much color bleeds out. You would not want this to happen to the light fabric in your quilt.
There are a couple of other tricks I have learned when it comes to pre-washing. I do put most of the fabrics in the dryer, but take them out after about 10 minutes when they are nearly dry. Do not let them dry completely or you will have a big mess of perma wrinkles in your fabric. Then I iron the pieces with a hot iron and they are just as beautiful as when they were new and full of sizing. Anything smaller than a fat quarter I put in a lingerie bag and toss that in both the washer and dryer with the larger pieces. Allyson told me that with her smaller scraps she just soaks them in a basin of warm sudsy water for an hour, then rinses them in a collander and blots the excess moisture out with towels. The lingerie bag route is probably the easier path if you have one.
See, don't those fabrics look as good as new? Hmmm? Pre-washing isn't so bad.
40 responses to “Missed the Deadline”
Missed it too! 🙁
Missed it too! 🙁
Those reds look delicious! Be sure to show us your Oct Schnibbles even though it missed the parade, I can’t wait to see it in Blessings.
Those reds look delicious! Be sure to show us your Oct Schnibbles even though it missed the parade, I can’t wait to see it in Blessings.
I’m like you, I’m not a prewasher, unless it is red! Your stack of reds are beautiful!!!
I’m like you, I’m not a prewasher, unless it is red! Your stack of reds are beautiful!!!
I can’t wait to see the red/white/cream quilt come together. I always pre-wash. Hate those nasty surprises after doing so much work.
I can’t wait to see the red/white/cream quilt come together. I always pre-wash. Hate those nasty surprises after doing so much work.
Very pretty reds, especially that bottom one. Yum, yum! Thanks for the color catcher idea. I have never tried that. Nancy in WI
Very pretty reds, especially that bottom one. Yum, yum! Thanks for the color catcher idea. I have never tried that. Nancy in WI
I read that we should prewash…but your visual says A LOT. Thanks for that.
I read that we should prewash…but your visual says A LOT. Thanks for that.
LOVE those reds! For me, red is the new blue!
Can’t wait to see the SNowball quilt in progress!
LOVE those reds! For me, red is the new blue!
Can’t wait to see the SNowball quilt in progress!
Don’t feel bad…mine was done and I my email didn’t get through to them (my computer was overheating) and I missed it too!
Don’t feel bad…mine was done and I my email didn’t get through to them (my computer was overheating) and I missed it too!
Thanks for the tips, Nicole. I never ever prewash, but then I rarely ever use red. I can’t imagine that Moda fabrics would bleed, but you’ve convinced me. I’m going to prewash mine and take them out of the dryer damp. That’s one reason I don’t prewash; I’ve always left them in the dryer to dry and then can never get the wrinkles out. Thanks again.
Thanks for the tips, Nicole. I never ever prewash, but then I rarely ever use red. I can’t imagine that Moda fabrics would bleed, but you’ve convinced me. I’m going to prewash mine and take them out of the dryer damp. That’s one reason I don’t prewash; I’ve always left them in the dryer to dry and then can never get the wrinkles out. Thanks again.
We still want to see your Schnibbles when you are finished! I love those color catchers..use them all the time.
We still want to see your Schnibbles when you are finished! I love those color catchers..use them all the time.
Thanks for the prewashing tips, I never pre-wash anymore and I love it, but I guess I will need to prewash reds on this one. Thanks for the tip about the color catchers, I keep forgetting to pick them up, but I will today!
Thanks for the prewashing tips, I never pre-wash anymore and I love it, but I guess I will need to prewash reds on this one. Thanks for the tip about the color catchers, I keep forgetting to pick them up, but I will today!
Very good advice! I’ll look for those color catchers next visit to the US
Very good advice! I’ll look for those color catchers next visit to the US
I think you had mentioned the color catchers before and I picked them up. Now I have them on hand for this quilt especially. Mailed my lights out today and can’t wait to get started.
I think you had mentioned the color catchers before and I picked them up. Now I have them on hand for this quilt especially. Mailed my lights out today and can’t wait to get started.
That is a gorgeous stack of reds…I swear by Color Catchers…don’t was a quilt without them. I didn’t finish my Cindy Lou Who either…that one was a tricky little bugger…LOL!
That is a gorgeous stack of reds…I swear by Color Catchers…don’t was a quilt without them. I didn’t finish my Cindy Lou Who either…that one was a tricky little bugger…LOL!
Nicole, I appreciate your tips for drying the fabric. I wouldn’t have known to do that and would have had wrinkles that won’t come out, thank you very very much. I have some color catchers but might have forgotten to put them in the wash with my red fabrics so thank you for that as well.
Blessings will be so beautiful for the Cindy Lou Who pattern. Now you need to start thinking of what fabrics you want to use for your Picnic Schnibbles quilt.
Nicole, I appreciate your tips for drying the fabric. I wouldn’t have known to do that and would have had wrinkles that won’t come out, thank you very very much. I have some color catchers but might have forgotten to put them in the wash with my red fabrics so thank you for that as well.
Blessings will be so beautiful for the Cindy Lou Who pattern. Now you need to start thinking of what fabrics you want to use for your Picnic Schnibbles quilt.
Nicole, I always pre-wash and use a color catcher. However, please answer a question for me…with the new jelly rolls and charm packs, etc. you can’t prewash. Will you use your prewashed reds with unwashed creams? Does anyone use washed and prewashed together in the same quilt? BTW, love, LOVE your red fabrics.
Carol, NE
Nicole, I always pre-wash and use a color catcher. However, please answer a question for me…with the new jelly rolls and charm packs, etc. you can’t prewash. Will you use your prewashed reds with unwashed creams? Does anyone use washed and prewashed together in the same quilt? BTW, love, LOVE your red fabrics.
Carol, NE
Okay, you talked me into it! I used to be a fanatic about pre-washing, but lately I’ve gotten in a hurry and haven’t pre-washed a thing.
I love your red fabrics. They should make a lovely snowball quilt!
Okay, you talked me into it! I used to be a fanatic about pre-washing, but lately I’ve gotten in a hurry and haven’t pre-washed a thing.
I love your red fabrics. They should make a lovely snowball quilt!
Whoa Nellie, would you look at those color catcher sheets. If that doesn’t inspire someone to prewash reds, I don’t know what else will. You have a gorgeous selection of reds there. One word: YUM.
Whoa Nellie, would you look at those color catcher sheets. If that doesn’t inspire someone to prewash reds, I don’t know what else will. You have a gorgeous selection of reds there. One word: YUM.
Great advise about the prewash. I always prewash my fabric as I don’t want to regret it later. I do the same thing with my dryer. I always take out the fabrics and iron them while they are damp. They do come out so beautiful 🙂
Great advise about the prewash. I always prewash my fabric as I don’t want to regret it later. I do the same thing with my dryer. I always take out the fabrics and iron them while they are damp. They do come out so beautiful 🙂
When you do finish Cindy Lou Who…be sure to give us a holler…we are going to have a drawing for everyone who finishes all 12…even if they weren’t on time! Thanks for the pre-wash advice too…I have a quilt with so many reds that I’ll never be able to wash because I didn’t pre wash…I’m sure even 10 Color Catchers wouldn’t protect it…there is just so much white in that quilt!
When you do finish Cindy Lou Who…be sure to give us a holler…we are going to have a drawing for everyone who finishes all 12…even if they weren’t on time! Thanks for the pre-wash advice too…I have a quilt with so many reds that I’ll never be able to wash because I didn’t pre wash…I’m sure even 10 Color Catchers wouldn’t protect it…there is just so much white in that quilt!